THERE was no riot, no rain, no racism, but, yes, there were
flags. Plenty of them, on shorts, faces, shaved skulls, backsides
and particularly draped over shoulders.

Sydney's Big Day Out organisers had requested no flags, or at
least no flag bullying, as had marred last year's event.

The aggression and overt nationalism rampant in 2006 was
appreciably reduced this year. While there were still some T-shirts
bearing the flag, and the exaltation 'Support or f--- off', the
mood all day among flag bearers was more display than demanding
allegiance.

But patrons had seen the so-called ban on flags akin to a red,
white and blue rag to a bull.

Dana Burgess, 17, with a newly purchased flag over her
shoulders, said she had not worn a flag before, but: "As soon as
they said they would be banned, I started thinking about ways to
smuggle them."

Of course, there was no need for any of the 55,000 revellers at
the Showgrounds to smuggle flags.

Security guards were not stopping them at the gates, and a
roaring trade was going on just in front of the entrance by
enterprising, cockney-accented flag sellers.

For all the political and media figures who fulminated against
the ban that never was, some of the flag bearers, too, were equally
confused.

One young man declared that he was wearing the flag as a way of
"sticking it to the Government".

There was also a low-key school of thought opposed to the
flags.

Shane Leshrine, of Parramatta, said the flag wearers had a "real
Boo Radley" mentality.

"The people marching around with the flag are all just
followers," he said. "It doesn't have a place at the BDO."

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Cooke, in charge of crowd
control, said 50 people had been charged with drug possession,
while 20 others were cautioned.